In the field of biofuels production, one method of producing usable fuels is to gasify biomass. Gasification can be accomplished by various methods, including pyrolysis, catalytic hydrothermal gasification, and anaerobic digestion. Regardless of the method of gasification, the ability to produce the biomass feedstock as cheaply and quickly as possible is critical to achieve the highest possible production of the output fuel. In addition, it is desirable that the production of feedstock should not use excessive resources such as nutrients (fertilizer), water, or land used for food production.
Aquatic species have a number of advantages relative to these criteria. Ponds or troughs to grow aquatic organisms can be located on arid or infertile land, the amount of water can be reduced by using shallow depths, and nutrients in the water are not lost by leaching into the soil with a properly constructed containment. In addition, the use of catalytic hydrothermal gasification in particular requires that the biomass be processed in the form of a wet slurry. Since aquatic species are soft and wet, they are ideal for this process, and thus avoid the need for expensive grinding or drying of woody or other rigid terrestrial materials.
When other factors such as temperature, water, and nutrients are controlled, the amount of biomass produced per unit of area and per unit of time depends on the growing efficiency of the particular species, and ultimately on the quantum efficiency of converting photons from sunlight into stored energy via photosynthesis.